THE Friends of Farnham Hospital and Centre for Health are gearing up for a very full year in 2018 as it celebrates the 70th anniversary of the founding of the NHS.

With funding recognised universally as a problem for the NHS there are plenty of things that the Friends can do to help the delivery of NHS services in Farnham.

For in-patients the Friends will once again provide a strawberry tea during Wimbledon week. But with the NHS birthday on July 5 it plans to make it a larger event this year. Organisations who wish to join in this event should contact the Friends via the website www.lof-fhch.co.uk.

At Christmas the Friends will once again provide a gift for every in-patient.

And for out-patients and the Farnham community, it will be arranging two health and well-being days. These will be organised by the GP practices, the Farnham Integrated Care Centre and Virgin Care, and the Friends.

The first will concentrate on healthy activity and will be held on March 18 at the Maltings where it will coincide with the charity Cyclathon run by the Rotary Club of Farnham.

The Friends and several other teams from the hospital staff will participate in the event to raise further funds for hospital projects.

The second will be in the autumn and as in 2017 will coincide with one of the hospital’s flu jab sessions. This will focus on preparing for a healthy winter. Organisations interested in supporting these wellbeing events should again contact the Friends via the website www.fof-fhch.co.uk.

For the suppliers of services in the hospital the Friends will continue to finance equipment they request. Most recently it has supported the replacement of the ageing vehicle used by occupational therapists to transport patients to and from appointments. The Friends also financed the previous vehicle.

In 2017 a total of £8,500 was donated, including two ECG machines that have been supplied to GP practices, and trollies for transporting patient files to the community hospital as well as new folders to provide all patients with a convenient container for all their paperwork on discharge.

The Friends will also continue to participate in the discussions about healthcare in Farnham through working with the local Clinical Commissioning Groups, for example on the North East Hampshire and Farnham CCG Prevention and Self Care Strategy ‘Happy and Healthy at Home’.

It also works with the patient groups run by Farnham’s GP practices.

Stair assessments are vital in the assessment and treating of patients before they can be discharged from hospital. The Friends were recently asked to purchase a set of space-saving steps for use on the wards as until their purchase this activity was carried out on the main flight of stairs.

Not only daunting for the patients but the activity also required the help of two therapists. 

Committee members will carry out annual audits to help monitor the standard of hospital cleanliness and quality of patient’s food – essentially ensuring the hospital is fit for purpose.

The Friends will continue to encourage entertainment to be provided at the hospital, to be enjoyed by the public as well as patients and staff.

“We hope that choirs and bands will see it as a suitable venue,” said George Alford, chairman of the Friends of Farnham Hospital. “In 2018 we would like to introduce a new ‘art’ event, perhaps to celebrate the 70 years anniversary, and invite art groups and organisations to approach us with ideas.

“For this project please contact the Friends via our website www.lof-fhch.co.uk.”

Throughout the year the Friends will be looking to raise funds to finance these activities.

Mr Alford continued: “For many years we have sold donated books in the out-patients department, and run a summer tea in Gostrey Meadow. Both these services will be repeated in 2018.

“Individuals can provide financial and voluntary support by becoming members of the Friends, details can be found on our website www.lof-fhch.co.uk.

“Organisations which would like to have their own fundraising or other activity in support of the hospital are invited to contact us so that we can co-operate and co-ordinate with other events planned for the ‘special’ anniversary.”

Further details about any of the above activities can be found online at www.lof-fhch.co.uk.